Japan coach admits height disadvantage played vital role in his team's loss to Belgium

Belgium head coach Juilen van de Vyver: "We played very hard against Japan. They had good defence and excellent ball reception. To beat them is not easy. We had to play cool under pressure and tried to concentrate well. Fortunately, we get accustomed to playing the Asian teams like China and South Korea before and that’s why we could cope well with playing Japan. We also competed in the previous world meet two years ago in Mexico. We trained as a team since last September ahead of our preparation for the European Championship. Against the USA, I admit that it must be a tough match. They are very strong and I can’t say it now whether we can beat them."

Captain Lise van Hecke: "We have the height advantage. The Japanese are much smaller than us. However, if they had the similar height as us, I admit that we would have a tougher task. I’m happy with our teamwork."

Japan head coach Yoshiki Ogawa: "Our performance is up and down. Some moments we played good, but sometimes we played below standard. However, having the smaller body size also played a vital role in playing the taller rivals like Belgium. We tried to make use of good reception and defence, but it’s not enough for winning."

Captain Chisato Mitsuyama: "We are nervous playing our first match in the championship and I’m not satisfied with the loss. I hope we can come up with the better form tomorrow."